The present invention relates generally to wetting agent injection systems and more specifically to wetting agent injection systems for firefighting apparatuses.
It has been established for some time that water treated with a wetting agent is more effective on a Class A fire where good water penetration is needed to reach and extinguish the seat of the fire. Prior to the present invention, wetting agents were poured into the desired amount of water located in the tank of a water truck, and the water was then pumped onto the fire. Many disadvantages flow from this technique. Specifically, it was necessary to always have a water tank truck available for this purpose. For example, when water was being supplied by a fire hydrant or by drafting operations such as taking water from a lake or a pond, it was necessary to first pump the water into the water tank, apply the wetting agent, and then pump the treated water from the water tank onto the fire. Other disadvantages also arise from having the wetting agent in the tank. First, some wetting agents are corrosive in nature and will, in time, rust out the tank. Therefore, much flushing of the water tank is required to clean out the tank to rid it of any wetting agent residue. Further, any wetting agent left in the tank when mixed with firefighting foam breaks the foam down defeating the effectiveness of the firefighting foam. Therefore, a need has arisen for a wetting agent injection system for injecting wetting agents into the suction side of the pump which then mixes with the water within the pump and as it travels through the hose line rather than requiring the mixing of the wetting agent in a water holding tank.